Rolls-Royce Trent 900 selected by Skymark for Airbus A380

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has signed a letter of intent with the Japanese airline Skymark Airlines to provide Trent 900 engines to power six Airbus A380 aircraft, including TotalCare® long-term engine service and support. The aircraft will enter into service in 2014.

Skymark is a new customer for Rolls-Royce, and the airline is the first in Japan to order the Airbus A380. Trent 900 engines powered the very first A380 to enter service in 2007 and have now been selected by 11 of 16 airlines who have ordered the aircraft.

Skymark will benefit from the commitment of Rolls-Royce to continually improve the performance and dependability of its engines. The Trent 900s it has ordered will incorporate enhancements in design and materials that will yield almost a two per cent improvement in fuel efficiency compared with those in service today.

Shinichi Nishikubo, President and Chief Executive Officer, Skymark, said: “Skymark has been evaluating the engines for the A380 since it decided to order the A380 in Nov 2010. As a result, Skymark came to the conclusion that the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 has superior fuel burn, reliability, economic efficiency and aftermarket support. This is why Skymark concluded that the Trent 900 is the most suitable engine for its operation"

Jim Sheard, Rolls-Royce Senior Vice President – Civil Aerospace, said: “Skymark is a new customer for Rolls-Royce and we are very pleased that they have put their trust in our leading edge engine technology and TotalCare support. This latest order, from a new customer, confirms the Trent 900 as the true market leader and engine of choice for the majority of A380 operators.”

The Trent 900 is currently in service with three airlines and has been selected by all A380 customers who have made engine selection decisions this year. Firm and option Trent 900- powered A380 aircraft on order total 129. TotalCare® long-term service agreements, in place on 90 per cent of Trent engines, are designed to minimise customer financial risk and enhance operational performance and reliability, allowing operators to concentrate on their core business.

1. Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.
2. As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 2,500 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in nearly 120 countries, with an installed base of 54,000 gas turbines.
3. Annual underlying revenues were £10.8 billion in 2010, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at £61.4 billion at 30 June 2011, providing visibility of future levels of activity.
4. Rolls-Royce employs over 39,000 skilled people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries. Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers.
5. In 2010, Rolls-Royce invested £923 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.
6. Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which connect the company’s engineers with the forefront of scientific research.
7. The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.